Madison’s 561-unit Queens resi complex rejected by community board

Madison Realty Capital’s vision for a large residential complex in Woodside, Queens suffered a setback Monday when Community Board 2 rejected the developer’s bid for a zoning variance.

The advisory vote follows Council Member Robert Holden saying he wouldn’t support the rezoning, according to the Sunnyside Post. The vote rejected a zoning variance that would allow for two buildings — of 17 stories and 14 stories — at 69-02 Queens Boulevard.

Current rules allow developers to build a 12-story building with 289 apartments, including 58 affordable housing units, the report said. Madison’s 561-unit development requires rezoning — in exchange for which the developer said it would include 168 affordable units. It would be one of the largest new projects Woodside has seen in decades. It’s also Madison’s first ground-up development project in Queens.

The Queens borough president, the city’s planning commission and the full city council are now set to review the proposal.

Madison bought a five-parcel assemblage in Woodside, including the site of this project, for around $31 million in 2016.